Must Be Fate
by Virgo Twister
Summary: It's been years since Rory's harsh refusal to Jess's request ("Come away with me"). Rory doubted she'd ever see him again. It seems, though, that Fate had a different plan...Rory's engaged. Jess turns out to be the best man. Lit and JJ (in the background)


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Must Be Fate

Author's Note: _Hello! Thank you for taking a peek at my first future fic, first _Gilmore Girls_ fic, and basically first fic on , I appreciate it! Well, stay a little while, read a sentence or two, and enjoy!_

Disclaimer: _There is absolutely no way I'd own _Gilmore Girls_ and I am in no association to Amy Sherman-Palladino. So...Don't sue!_

Summary: _It's been years since Rory's harsh refusal to Jess's request ("Come away with me"). Rory doubted she'd ever see him again. It seems, though, that Fate had a different plan...Rory's engaged. Jess turns out to be the best man. Lit and JJ (in the background)._

A Proposal You Can't Refuse

"Do you think I should do this today?"

"You've been thinking about this thing for weeks, get it done already."

"But what if she says no?"

"I doubt she'd say no, if you guys are as serious as you say," said the annoyed voice of Jess Mariano.

"Yeah, but you never know with women," said his best friend, through the telephone.

"From what you've told me about her, I really doubt she'd refuse," Jess said, sighing.

"If you keep on waiting, you'll never know what she'll say Damien."

Damien sighed loudly. "You're right."

"I'm always right," said Jess. Damien could just hear him smirking through the phone.

"Yeah, yeah," Damien muttered. "You'll be able to meet her after you come back to New York from Italy."

"I don't really see the point of you not telling me her name, at least."

"I want it to be a surprise."

"Why? Have I met her before?"

"No...I don't think so. I just want to keep you in the dark. That way, you'll be more surprised when you meet her. I swear Jess, she is the most wonderful women you will ever meet."

"I don't know about that...," he muttered, his mind drifting back to a certain Lorelai. After he said goodbye to Damien, he plopped down on his bed, thinking about Rory Gilmore. The last time he saw her was when he asked her to come away with him. Obviously, she said no. After that, he went back to New York, and lived there until he turned 23, then, he had enough money, so he decided to travel. After all, there was nothing for him in New York, besides his mother. He traveled to Europe, first to Spain, then France, then finally Italy. He's been in Europe for the past on and a half year.

All this time, Rory's been in his mind, his thoughts, and in his heart.

Damien walked around the Washington Square Park nervously. He was pacing up and down a small section of the sidewalk, by a bench. His neat light brown hair was getting messed up by the harsh winds. His light green eyes were filled with anticipation.

"Come on...Where are you?" he muttered to himself, as he continued pacing.

Finally, she came. Her semi-dark brown hair was covering her face as she hugged herself, trying to get warmer. When she saw Damien, she smiled. "Hey!" she said, waving her hand before running to him.

"Hey!" he said, trying to mask his nervousness.

"What's up?" she asked, wondering why he asked her to come out, in this blustery autumn day.

"I...I just needed to ask you something," he said, losing his courage that he had before she came.

She looked at him, waiting patiently for what he needed to ask.

"I...," Damien muttered, gathering up the rest of his courage. He jammed his hand into his pocket of his black pants, and pulled out a black, velvety, small, cube box. He got down on one knee, and said, over the howling wind, "Rory Gilmore, will you marry me?" He opened the small box and a ring with a large diamond on it was revealed.

Rory stared at the ring in the box, her mouth slightly open in shock. Finally, she nodded, and could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. "Y-yes I will," she got out, and she smiled brilliantly.

Damien couldn't help but grin as he got up, and he slipped the ring onto Rory's finger. He wrapped his arms around Rory's waist and pulled her in for a gentle kiss.

"Mom! Mom! Guess what?!" Rory said, excitedly.

"What Hon?" asked her mother, wondering what was it that got Rory so excited. She

could just imagine Rory's broad smile on her face from the way Rory was talking through the cell phone.

"I'm getting married!!" Rory practically screamed into the phone.

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"My Baby's getting married!!"

"Uh-huh!"

"Wait, wait, I'm getting Luke to talk to you."

Rory heard, in the background, Luke saying, "No cellphones in the diner!"

Lorelai replied with a "But Lukey...It's Rory...," in a whiny tone. Then, she said, brightly, "Talk to her!"

"What? No, I-" at that moment, the phone was slammed to his ear. "Oh, hey Rory."

"Hiya Luke," said Rory, grinning.

"So..."

"I'm getting married."

"I've heard, from your mother's outburst. Do you know where you're going to hold it?"

"No, we haven't talked about it yet. Right now, I'm still in my "I'm Getting Married" stage."

"Oh, well...Hang on, your mom wants to talk to you again."

After a few seconds, Lorelai asked, "So, who's the guy who proposed?"

"Damien, Mom! Who else could it be?"

"I dunno, it might have just been some guy, that looked like a young God, that proposed to you. You fell for the charming smile, and the heavenly blue eyes, so you agreed."

Rory laughed at her mom's statement. "Close Mom."

"So, when is this wedding going to be? Where?"

"Probably in the winter, and-"

"And it's going to be set in Stars Hollow!" Lorelai finished for her.

"Yep," said Rory.

"Yay! Rory's wedding is going to be here!" Lorelai cried out. Rory had to actually hold

the phone away from her ear when her mother said, or rather yelled, that.

Jess stepped off of the plane that picked him, and several other people, up from Italy. He looked around the New York airport, inhaling the scent of America. It was so different from Italy. He had to admit that he'd miss Italy.

He walked down the steps and to the waiting room, where others were waiting to board the plane. He looked around and saw Damien, sitting there, reading a wedding magazine.

"Wow...I've only been gone for a year and a half, and you've already turned girly," Jess commented, as he walked up to him.

"Jess! Hey!" said Damien, when he heard Jess's voice.

"Hey," Jess said, nonchalantly. "So, you proposed, right? And I take it from you reading the magazine that she accepted?"

"Smart, I guess Italy did you some good."

Jess just smirked in reply.

"She's here, you know. She just had to go to the restroom. She should be coming out any second."

As if on cue, Rory walked out of the restroom. She walked over to Damien, with a smile.

"Here she is," said Damien. He put his hand on her back and gently pushed her in front of Jess. "Jess, meet Rory, my fiancée, Rory, meet Jess, my best man."

Rory stared at Jess in disbelief.

Jess did the same.

"Jess?" Rory asked, softly. She hoped that this would be a different Jess, but, how was that possible? He looked so much like the one she knew. His hair was still a mess, and it went back to being gelled. His trademark leather jacket was on, and she saw the book in his pocket. Oh this was Jess all right. The infamous Jess Mariano.

"Hey," he muttered, his eyes casting to the ground. Rory's hair grew back out, but other than that, she still remained the same.

They all stood in silence. Rory and Jess said nothing, nor looked at one another.

Neither dared to say a word.

****

Flashback

"Rory," he began.

"What do you want?" Rory replied, rather harshly.

"I don't know...I just wanted to see you...Talk to you...I just...," he said, his eyes

casting back onto the ground.

"What?"

"Come away with me," he said, suddenly.

"Where?" Rory couldn't help but ask. She mentally slapped herself. She shouldn't have asked that. She shouldn't have. That would have just led him on.

"I don't know...away!"

"Are you crazy?!"

"Probably. Do it. Come away with me. Don't think about it."

"I can't do that," said Rory, opening up her dorm door and walking in.

"You don't think you can do it, but you can. You can do whatever you want!" Jess said, following her.

"It's not what I want."

"It is, I know you."

"You don't know me!" she cried.

"Look, we'll go to New York. We'll work, we'll live together, we'll be together. It's what I want. It's what you want, too."

"No!"

"I want to be with you, but not here. Not this place, not Stars Hollow. We have to start anew."

"There's nothing to start!"

"You're packed. Your stuff is all in boxes. It's perfect. You're ready. And I'm ready. I'm ready for this. You can count on me now. I know you couldn't count on me before, but you can now. You can."

"No!" she cried, once more. Her heart, though, was yelling "Yes!!"

"Look, you know we're supposed to be together. I knew it the first time I saw you two years ago, and you know it, too. I know you do."

"No, no, no, no, no!"

"Don't say "no" just to make me stop talking, or make me go away. Only say "no" if you really don't want to be with me."

Rory hesitated. She knew that she only said so many "no"'s because she didn't want to admit to her feelings. Finally, mustering up the most courage she had, she said, in a forced tone, "No!"

Jess looked down, trying to mask his hurt. He turned around and walked away.

Rory slowly sat down on the boxes. She buried her head in her arms.

Rory made a mistake.

Perfect Rory made a mistake.

One she'd regret since that day.

End Flashback

Author's Note: _Like it? Hate it? Let me know! Me and my muse would appreciate it!_


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